The Last Massacre
by Marie Hawkins
Summary: Sequel to "The Earth Saga." It's the last standoff between the remaining Saiyans- as well as a few Earthlings- and Frieza. Who will emerge triumphant?
1. Reunion

"My Lord," Vegeta said, kneeling on the cold floor of Frieza's ship. In his absence, nothing had changed. Frieza's ship was still just as harsh feeling as it had been when he left. Frieza turned to face him.

"My, my, my. We are ballsy, aren't we?" Frieza addressed him, coolly. "I'm surprised that you'd show your face here uninvited and unannounced. Especially after all of the foolish things you and your friends have done."

"My Lord," Vegeta repeated. He lifted his gaze from the floor to Frieza's eyes. He did his best not to shudder. "I have come to beg for your forgiveness. I had nothing to do with the actions of those fools," he spoke quickly, hoping Frieza would buy into his lies. "My sister revealed to me the true foolishness of this revolution. I have no desire to take part in it. I serve you, as I always have," he turned his gaze towards the floor once more. He was greeted by silence. Frieza paced around for several moments, before addressing the prince again.

"I figured she would win you over," he said, musing aloud. "I told her not to. It was too risky. Well, at least she managed to do _one_ thing right before she died," he sighed. "You may stand, Vegeta." Vegeta stood, doing his best to bite his tongue. Yes, he hated his sister. He always would. But he felt that, next to Raditz, he was the only person who had the right to feel hatred towards her. He was one of the few people that knew her best. Her betrayal had wounded him the most. Still, when Frieza spoke of her with such disdain, he wanted nothing more than to shoot a few holes through the despot.

"It seems we have our work cut out for us," Frieza said. "Surely you know of Bardock's plan to return to Vegeta with the Dragonballs?" Vegeta nodded. "Zarbon, Dodoria, and I will go down and head them off, which leaves you in charge of the ship. Do you think you can do that without messing everything up?" he asked. Vegeta nodded once more. "Very well. When I hear more, I'll let you know. You may go," he said, casually waving Vegeta away. Vegeta bowed once more, and exited the room as quickly as possible. He meandered uselessly through the halls. It had been so long since he'd been here; he'd almost forgotten where everything was. Eventually, he found his way down to the lower levels of the ship. Just as he was about to walk down the stairs, Zarbon walked up.

"Well, if it isn't Vegeta," he scoffed. "Never thought I'd have to see you again," he glowered. Vegeta folded his arms crossly. He'd always had a particular distasted for Zarbon.

"That could be arranged," he growled. "I could kill you here and now, ending our agony." Zarbon only laughed, and continued his ascent up the stairs.

"Cocky, as always," he muttered to himself, ignoring Vegeta once more. Vegeta watched Zarbon retreat up the stairs before he began his descent. He'd only been down these stairs on rare occasions. As he continued his descent, he suddenly remembered why. Vegeta was hardly forbidden from going anywhere on the ship. He always got a dreadful feeling, however, as he used these stairs. It was as though the air was heavier and cooler down here. There was no other feeling inside him but despair. Of course, he knew it was all in his mind, but that didn't help him shake off the feeling. As he walked through the door at the bottom of the stairs, he squinted to adjust to the darkness. It was cooler down here than he had remembered. He shivered slightly. He looked around at his bleak surroundings, suddenly questioning why he was here. He walked forward, hoping he could remember.

"Vegeta?" a weak voice called. Vegeta's eyes had adjusted to the dim light, and he turned his attentions to the sound of his name. He walked forward, realizing that the room was lined with cells. Almost all of them were occupied with weak and dying Saiyans. He hoped the others would arrive soon. He couldn't bear to let these Saiyans just sit here and suffer.

"It's really you," the voice spoke again. He neared the cell, laying his eyes upon a Saiyan girl. She had pushed her body against the bars, and her arm was outstretched towards him. He took her hand in his, almost drawing back once he sensed the immediate coldness of her skin. He studied her face intently. She had a tangled mess of spiky hair that fell to her waist. Her eyes were hollow and her face sunken in. However, as he studied, Vegeta was able to recognize that face. He squeezed the girl's hand a little tighter.

"Cerorai?" he asked, upon recognizing her. Her months in the cell had changed her appearance. How she had managed to survive in these conditions was beyond him. She brought his hand to her cheek.

"I knew you'd come back," she whispered. "There were rumors you'd been killed. Most of us have started to lose hope," she said, her voice tired and forlorn.

"Don't lose hope just yet," he whispered back. It was good to see her again, even if it was painful at the same time. He hated seeing her like this. "Bardock and Sona still have a few surprises for Frieza. Kai be willing, you'll all be out of here in no time."

"I'm sorry about your sister," she said slowly. She studied his face. He toughened his calloused front once more, stiffening at the mention of his sister. He shrugged.

"She deserved to die after what she'd done to you," he replied. "She betrayed our people. She's better off to us dead." Cerorai shook her head.

"You say that, but you don't really mean it," she said, sadly. "I know you miss her. It's okay. There are just some people you can't save from themselves. She was one of them." Vegeta's grip on Cerorai's hand relaxed a little. Somehow her words provided a release for him. She'd brought him to a realization he couldn't reach on his own. He'd been telling himself that his sister was all bad and that it was good that she was dead. Cerorai gave him a completely different approach: We all have darkness within ourselves. Verspa's merely swallowed her up before she could stop it. Mourning for her loss, regardless of what she'd done, wasn't wicked; it was natural.

"I'm sorry," Cerorai said, interrupting his thoughts. "I was speaking out of place. It's just, after being cooped up for so long, I've become a little forward. Forgive-" Vegeta silenced her apology, crushing his lips against hers. He hadn't really thought the motion through, it just sort of happened. He broke away, his lips still stinging with a numbing shock, and gently released her hand.

"I'm glad you're still alive, Cerorai," he said, turning to leave. "I promise that all of you will get out of here. Saiyans aren't defeated so easily."


	2. Stowaway

Kakarot stepped out of the ship, his feet crunching against the dry, barren ground. Home sweet home. Nothing had changed; everything on Vegeta was just as bleak as before. The others exited the ship after him. He heard some of the surprised gasps of the Earthlings and smiled grimly to himself. It was definitely different on Earth.

"Now what?" he turned to ask his father. "We go back to the tunnels?" Bardock shook his head, much to Kakarot's surprise.

"There's no point. Frieza already knows we hide out down there. We need to call all of the Saiyans out and train above ground. Your mother and I will go. The rest of you, stay here and train," he said, turning to leave. Kakarot glanced back at the Earthlings. Despite their brief training sessions in higher gravity, they were still having trouble moving.

"It only takes a while to get used to," he reassured them. "Just walk around until you're comfortable." He turned his attention to his brother. "Shall we?" he asked putting up his defenses. Raditz grinned in return.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting to spar with you, Kakarot," Raditz said, coiling himself for battle.

Chi-Chi turned herself away from Kakarot and Raditz. The high gravity here was nothing but frustrating. She hadn't enjoyed training in it on the ship either. She took a few steps back, moving quite slowly because her legs felt as though they were made of lead. She tried to look on the bright side of things: at least she could _stand_. In the beginning of her training, she hadn't even been able to do that. She glanced over at Piccolo and Krillin. They were both able to move faster than she. Piccolo was overcoming the gravity quite quickly; he lifted himself off the planet's surface, hovering just above Chi-Chi and Krillin. Krillin was attempting to pick up running. Chi-Chi sighed, frustrated, and began to concentrate once more. Her concentration was quickly broken.

"What was that?" Piccolo called to them from the sky. Chi-Chi and Krillin both looked up at him, puzzled expressions on their faces.

"What was _what_?" Chi-Chi asked, putting her hands on her hips. Piccolo silenced her, putting his finger up, and cocked his head to the side.

"There it is again," he said. He lowered himself from his perch in the sky and touched down next to Krillin and Chi-Chi.

"I don't hear anything," Krillin said. "And now's not the time to try to freak me out with fake noises," he said angrily. He turned away from Piccolo and continued his training. Piccolo scoffed, but let Krillin ignore him.

"It sounds like its coming from the ship," Piccolo said. "We didn't leave anyone in there, did we?"

"Only Oolong," Chi-Chi shrugged. "Maybe he's just having a tantrum."

"No," Piccolo said. "I can sense Oolong's chi, and it's not him." Piccolo fell silent for a few seconds. "This chi feels…familiar," he said at length.

The ship door began to hiss open. Chi-Chi and Piccolo stepped back, raising their defenses. The person they saw walking down the ramp gave them a cheery smile and a wave. After recovering from her shock, Chi-Chi threw her hands on her hips once more and glowered at the old man.

"Gohan," she said, sternly. "What are you _doing_? You shouldn't be here. What do you think will happen if you get hurt?" she asked forcefully. Her scolding didn't dampen Gohan's bright mood. "What about if you get _killed_? Huh? Do you know how much that will hurt me and my father?"

"Chi-Chi," Gohan said, placing a hand gently on her elbow. "Just relax, sweetheart."

"Just relax?" she threw back at him. "How can I relax when I know that you're going to be in danger every second?"

"He's not your child," Piccolo cut in, silencing Chi-Chi once more. He looked at his old enemy, his eyes brimming with curiosity. "He's a fighter. He wants to be here."

"I'll be fine, I promise," he said, reassuring her. Piccolo grunted and raised himself into the sky once more, leaving Chi-Chi and Gohan to themselves. Chi-Chi continued staring relentlessly at Gohan, who had learned to pay her no mind. He cast his eyes around him, drinking in his surroundings. Gohan had never imagined that Vegeta was this barren, this destroyed. The lifelessness of it all cast a thick gloom in the atmosphere. His gaze was attracted by the sparring Saiyan brothers. They were moving quite quickly. Both were skilled and had masses of sheer strength. They were graceful, yet unbelievably powerful.

"Saiyans are quite interesting creatures, aren't they?" he asked aloud, to no one in particular. "They're built for battle."

"Let's just hope they're strong enough to win this," Chi-Chi said, answering him. "I don't know how much help I'm going to be in this gravity," she mused, trying to move at a normal speed once more. Gohan studied her attempts for several moments, smiling to himself. He sensed her frustration and her eagerness to excel, especially when those around her were doing so well. Krillin had begun to run laps around their spaceship, a satisfied look smeared across his face.

"Why can't I do this?" she asked aloud in frustration.

"Relax, Chi-Chi," Gohan said, soothingly. "You're coming along just fine."

"Everyone else here can move around easily," she spat. "And I'm still left in the dust. You call that fine?"

"Everyone else here is male, dear," he said.

"So what? Being female isn't an excuse," she said.

"You're absolutely right," he agreed, nodding. "Your body has given you a natural handicap. You were created to be weaker than all of us. Once you overcome that challenge, you will become stronger than all of us. Just relax. Don't think too hard about moving, just do it." Chi-Chi tried to separate her mind from her actions. She tried to let go of her frustrations. At first, she was unsuccessful, moving just as slowly as ever. She took a deep breath, repeating Gohan's words to herself. Once she was able to move in this gravity, she would be stronger than she had been on Earth. With that in mind, she felt that her legs were starting to move at a more normal pace. She no longer felt like she was dragging two tons of cinderblocks behind her. She smiled at Gohan.

"You've done it, my dear," he congratulated her. She ran forward and hugged him tightly. Though she would never admit it to him, she was glad that he had come.

"The Saiyans are back," Krillin called. Everyone gathered together to greet the Saiyans Bardock and Sona had gathered together. Kakarot was shocked by their small numbers. The group in the Underground had been at least six times this size.

"There are so few," he said. "What happened to the rest?" Sona gently placed a hand on her son's shoulder.

"Frieza got to them first," she said, sadly. "These were the only ones that managed to escape." Kakarot's face fell.

"The others are dead, then?" he asked. Sona shrugged.

"We don't know. We believe most of them are being tortured and killed on Frieza's ship, which means they're in Prince Vegeta's hands now."

"Then we haven't got time to waste," Raditz said. "We need to continue our training above ground. No one knows when Frieza will decide to show."


	3. Frieza's Strategy

Frieza paced, keeping his eyes glued to the floor. He'd been waiting for quite some time now. Patience was never one of his good qualities. If Zarbon wasn't so useful to him, he would have done away with him a long time ago. Not to mention he'd been stuck in a room alone with Vegeta for nearly ten minutes. At last he heard a door hiss open and someone approach.

"Lord Frieza," came Zarbon's deep voice. Without looking up, Frieza began to address him.

"The Saiyans have returned," he said, hardly able to contain himself. "They're plotting against me as we speak. We're going to squash this little rebellion of theirs as quickly as possible."

"What do you suggest we do, Lord Frieza?" Zarbon asked. "Surely the Saiyans are too smart to walk right to their deaths. I suspect a trap."

"Zarbon, if there is one thing I've learned, it's to never overestimate a Saiyan," he sighed, finally looking up. "Nevertheless, I have sent Dodoria back to Earth. If the Saiyans were bluffing about the Dragonballs, we'll know."

"And the Saiyans on planet Vegeta?" Zarbon asked listening intently to Frieza's every word.

"They will be your job, Zarbon," Frieza looked over at his right hand man who had a subtle expression of anxiety written on his face. "It's only a small band of low levels," Frieza reassured him. "Surely you can take care of some low class apes? Or should I send others with you?"

"No, Lord Frieza," Zarbon responded quickly. "Of course I can handle it on my own." Frieza grinned.

"Very well, Zarbon, you may go," he waved him away with a lazy flick of his wrist. Once Zarbon had exited the room, Frieza turned to Vegeta. "Your sister proved that she was worthless to me, but I'm giving you a chance. I will be following Zarbon with a few men just in case things don't go as well as planned. You, however, will stay here and remain in control of the ship. If there is an attack, you know what needs to happen, correct?"

"Yes, Lord Frieza," Vegeta nodded. He hoped his face was not revealing his inward thoughts. Frieza was insane if he thought Zarbon would get off of planet Vegeta alive. With Frieza away from the ship, however, it would buy Vegeta some time to do a little damage of his own. If there was one thing Frieza _should _have learned it was to never underestimate a Saiyan. Ever.

"Excellent," Frieza said flatly. He stared at the Saiyan for a little longer, still not entirely sure whether or not to trust him. At the moment, he really had no choice. He couldn't trust anyone else to make sure Zarbon got the job done right. He sighed. Oh, the burdens of being an overlord. He turned and walked out of the room, leaving Vegeta alone in the silence.

Frieza hardly roamed the halls of his ship. He liked to stay in two or three rooms. Roaming meant he could actually see how painfully unproductive and unintelligent half of his crew was. However, when he did roam, the awe his soldiers paid him was wonderful. He walked in silence down the halls of his ship, staring straight ahead and pretending not to notice the exhilarating flicker of fear in everyone else's eye. He entered the crew's quarters, perhaps his least favorite place in all of the known universes. Luckily for him, there were few soldiers actually in the quarters. He quickly glanced around hoping to see the men he was looking for.

"Cui! Appule!" he called, bored with searching. He saw two previously slumped over figures stand and rush forward. Both bowed and made utter fools of themselves as they muttered 'Yes, My Lord?' and 'At your service, Lord Frieza' in about twenty different ways.

"Silence," he said cutting both of them off. "Stop groveling and stand up. Both of you are coming with me to planet Vegeta." Cui and Appule stood quickly. "There is a job we need to make sure Zarbon carries out." Frieza continued to address his men as he walked out of the crew's quarters. "Cui, you know of the new technology we've been developing in the lower levels?"

"Yes, My Lord," Cui said, a sly smile creeping across his face. "Shall I fetch it for you?" Frieza nodded in reply. He and Appule continued on their path to exit the ship. Up until this point, Frieza had very much hoped that Zarbon would be able to easily defeat the remaining Saiyans. If he did, Frieza would not have to intercede, meaning all of their new technology would go to waste. It would be a pity to have caught and tortured all those Saiyans for nothing. He would like to test his weapons on all the remaining Saiyans. Especially that Bardock fellow.


	4. Sacrifice and Compassion

"That's _it_?" Chi-Chi asked, her face lit up with excitement. She had mastered another technique Kakarot had shown her. Once Chi-Chi had conquered the gravity, gaining new skills wasn't difficult for her at all. "What else can you teach me?" she asked, eagerly. Kakarot laughed.

"I've taught you almost everything that I know," he said. She smiled at him.

"That's okay," she said, "I guess I kind of owe you some training anyway." Kakarot gave her a puzzled look.

"What are you going to teach me?" he asked her. She grabbed his arm gently and led him further away from the others.

"We're going to need lots of space," she said, not really answering his question. "This move is one of the first I ever saw Master Roshi perform. I practiced it on my own, but it took a lot of time. I'm sure you can master it quickly." She faced a large pile of stones and took a deep breath, concentrating her energy. She put her wrists together, flattened her palms, and curled her fingers. With one word, the stones came clattering to the ground. She grinned at Kakarot.

"Think you can do it?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips. He returned Chi-Chi's grin. If Chi-Chi believed he could do it, then there wasn't any reason why he wouldn't be able to. He concentrated, visualizing Chi-Chi's attack again. He faced a still standing rock wall and placed his wrists together. He took a deep breath.

"Kame-" he uttered. He felt his energy fizzling in his palms. This was a good sign. "-hameha!" As he continued speaking his energy strengthened, growing white hot in his palms. When he released his energy, there was a gaping hole in the rock. He hadn't managed to knock it over like Chi-Chi, which disappointed him slightly.

"Wow," Chi-Chi said, awed. Kakarot rubbed the back of his head. Half of him was still disappointed, half of him was pleased that Chi-Chi was shocked by his power.

"You picked that up faster than anyone I know," she smiled. Kakarot swelled with pride once more. "You've got to show Gohan," she said, her face lighting up excitedly. She grabbed his hand, leading him back to the group of others. She hadn't really realized how far they'd wandered until she had to walk back to rejoin the group. She called out to Gohan, dragging a bashfully reluctant Kakarot behind her. What happened next happened so quickly it was hard for her to process.

She heard something, faintly, as though someone were flying just above her. Foolishly, she paid the noise no mind. Suddenly, she felt Kakarot rip his hand from hers and shove her forcefully to the ground. She felt the heat of a ki blast, though because of Kakarot's quick thinking, she remained unscathed. When she had a moment to catch her breath and realize what was happening around her, she noticed Kakarot's crumpled form. He hadn't been quite as fortunate as she. Chi-Chi didn't have time to question whether Kakarot was still alive or not; her attacker was descending upon her. She stood quickly, blocking her attacker's first attack. This, however, did not seem to be daunting, for the green skinned man merely grinned widely. He moved faster than anyone Chi-Chi had ever encountered before. She caught herself wondering if this being was Frieza, if this moment was to be her last, and if any of her companions would have the strength to defeat such a foe. She was sent soaring through the air, her body slamming against the ground. Her whole being was numb. She couldn't move anything. As the green skinned man approached, she knew it was over.

"Chi-Chi!" Gohan called, distracting her attacker. He sent several energy blasts his way, but none had any effect. They had given Gohan enough time to reach Chi-Chi and protect her. He stood between Chi-Chi and the strange green skinned man, coiled to attack. The green skinned man looked lazily on at his new competition, casually flicking his dark green braid onto his shoulder.

"You'll not touch her," Gohan said sternly. Chi-Chi wished she could move. She wished she could stand and help Gohan.

"And you're just the one to stop me, aren't you?" Zarbon chuckled. These must be Earthlings. They were even more stupid than the Saiyans. He sighed, striking the old man quickly. He laced his fingers around the old man's neck. He put up a decent fight at first, though his attacks weren't nearly as strong as they needed to be. As Zarbon strengthened his grip, he could almost literally feel the old man's strength draining. Perhaps it would have been more enjoyable to kill this man if it were at least _slightly _challenging. He didn't know why he had been so worried before. This rebellion was going to be easy to squelch. As Zarbon lost himself in his thoughts, he forgot his own strength. He felt the old man's thick, warm blood dripping down his arm. The Earthling's eyes were sightless. Zarbon scoffed in disgust, tossing the body aside.

Chi-Chi let out a shriek of rage. Raditz could see her attempting to stand, though she wasn't getting far. He had to act quickly or else she was dead meat. Zarbon would see to that.

"Still haven't changed," he called out. Zarbon turned to face him. His face filled with disgust. Raditz threw him a smug grin, hoping Zarbon's pride and hatred towards Raditz would distract him from Chi-Chi. "You still pick on the people who don't even challenge you. I suppose if that's the only way you'll _win_ a battle then it works." Zarbon moved away from Chi-Chi and towards Raditz.

"Is that a challenge, low level?" he asked, his expression darkening. "Perhaps you're not as big of a coward as I thought, though it doesn't matter much to me. You'll all be dead before I leave this forsaken planet." Raditz charged. He was done with talk. He flew at Zarbon, surprising him. He managed to get in several good hits before Zarbon began to retaliate.

Sona, realizing Raditz was distracting Zarbon, took Bardock's hand and led him quickly away from their large group of Saiyans. They walked towards Kakarot, Chi-Chi, and Gohan. Sona gently caught the Earthling female up in her arms. Chi-Chi was so distraught she was hardly making any sense. Sona ignored her, turning to her husband.

"We have to get them back to the tunnels. I left all of my medical supplies down there," she said quietly. Bardock nodded. He tightened his grip on his son and the one named Gohan before taking to the skies. Sona followed, still keeping an eye on Chi-Chi. She felt a strange sort of connection to the girl, perhaps because it was apparent Kakarot had taken a liking to the Earthling. Under normal circumstances, Sona would have expected Kakarot to choose a Saiyan girl. This Earthling, however, was so wonderfully complex, so strong, and so loving towards Kakarot. There was no shame in that. She had to save this girl and protect her. For her little Kakarot.


	5. The Tide Turns

Kakarot blinked his eyes open. His vision was still fuzzy and he sat up a little too quickly. He felt gentle hands pushing him back to his horizontal position.

"Where am I?" he asked.

"We're back in the caves, Kakarot," his mother said soothingly. "You're lucky we got you here in time. Zarbon wasn't holding anything back when he attacked you."

"He wasn't aiming for me," Kakarot shrugged. "If only I'd had time to block." He paused, then asked, "How's Chi-Chi?"

"She's fine," Sona reassured him. "She's here too. There is one thing, though," she said slowly. "I'm afraid Gohan is-" Sona clenched her jaw. "Gohan is our first casualty." She put a comforting hand on her son's shoulder before she disappeared. Kakarot sat up again, slowly this time. He could see Chi-Chi's silhouette outside of the tent. He walked to her and sat wordlessly beside her. After several moments, it seemed Chi-Chi was pulled out of her thoughts and finally realized he was there. She flung her arms around him, gently kissing his jaw.

"Thank Kami you're safe," she whispered. "For a moment I'd feared the worst." She rested her tear streaked face against his shoulder. "I thought you'd be dead just like-" her voice cut off. Her eyes gained a sudden distance, as though she were millions of galaxies away. Kakarot could hardly imagine what she was feeling. He had shared a connection with Gohan and was sorry to hear that he was gone. Gohan was the only Earthling that had taken an immediate liking to him. It was Gohan who had presented him with the four star ball. It was Gohan who protected Chi-Chi when he couldn't. Whatever remorse he was feeling for Gohan's passing must have been a million times worse for Chi-Chi.

"You know what he said to me?" she asked, her voice heavy and cold. "Right before he-" she paused, unable to say the word. "He doesn't want to be wished back."

"Wished back?" Kakarot asked. "You mean with the Dragonballs?" Chi-Chi nodded.

"He said he'd lived his life exactly the way he wanted. He didn't have any desire to be wished back. Said he'd be a waste of a perfectly good wish." She sighed, pulling her knees up to her chin. Kakarot wrapped his arm around Chi-Chi. There really wasn't anything he could say to make the situation better. He thought that, perhaps, it would be best if he were silent for now.

As a low level, Raditz had never had the opportunity to spar with someone as high up in the ranks as Zarbon. He found that in this battle, he was faring very well. He could tell Zarbon was wearing down. Raditz continued to move as quickly as possible. He delivered a powerful kick to Zarbon's stomach, sending him staggering backwards.

"I suppose you think you're quite strong, don't you?" Zarbon snarled. He straightened himself. "I would consider you a formidable opponent if I were in my true form. I'm not even at full power," he chuckled darkly. Raditz's hopeful outlook was dampened. Zarbon wasn't the bluffing type.

Raditz heard a sharp voice addressing Zarbon through the scouter. Frieza. He must be watching the fight somewhere close by. Quickly, Raditz looked around, but couldn't see him.

"New strategy, Zarbon," Frieza said, cutting him off in the middle of preparing to transform. "Seeing as you're still alive at least the old strategy wasn't _horrible_."

"What's our next move?" Zarbon asked, slightly annoyed.

"While I was en route to watch your little battle, I decided the best way to stop this rebellion would be to stop the leader. Target the leader. Not physically, but emotionally. Hurt the ones he loves. I know the best place to start. Cui and Appule are on their way with our new technology. Their target is Bardock's mate. Once they have her, all of you will return to the ship. Don't waste your time with any of the fools there," Frieza commanded. Zarbon smiled. He wouldn't waste his time. He'd transform and make quick work of all the idiots surrounding him.

"Yes My Lord," he responded, turning his attentions back to Raditz.

"Oh, and Zarbon, don't bother transforming, it's a waste of energy," Frieza said. Zarbon growled to himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Cui and Appule touchdown. Bardock and his mate had returned moments earlier. Perfect timing.

Zarbon was eager to see how well Frieza's new technology worked. As much fun as it would have been to just torture Saiyans for the hell of it, Frieza _did_ have a purpose for it. He was able to discover their weaknesses and develop weapons and nets strong enough to catch them. It was brilliant, really.

Bardock's mate, who had touched down later than Bardock, was still making her way back to the large group of Saiyans when Cui and Appule overtook her. She struggled, but her efforts were futile. Frieza's new toys had worked just as well as they'd hoped. Before anyone could react to Sona's capture, Zarbon, Cui, and Appule were in the air, dragging Sona behind them. Zarbon felt oddly triumphant. This rebellion was going to end just as soon as it had begun.


	6. Captive

Sona had never encountered a material this strong before. Her attackers had appeared from nowhere and chained her wrists. She almost laughed when she looked down at the metal that appeared weak. However, when she began to struggle, she realized that her efforts were futile. She could not break their hold. The chains seemed heavy and put her under some sort of handicap. She was not able to deliver herself from her assailants. She knew Bardock was fighting for her, but Zarbon was able to throw him off their trail easily.

Sona had never seen Frieza's ship in person before, and-to be perfectly honest- wasn't glad to see it now. She clenched her jaw, almost a hundred percent certain she would not like what would happen to her there. She was dragged roughly down hallways and through rooms. She hardly paid attention to where she was going, her mind was racing- waiting for an opportune moment to escape if possible.

Frieza's henchmen that were guiding her along had stopped moving before she realized it and she almost collided into them. She raised her eyes from the ground and cleared her head. Her gaze was returned by a pair of chilling red eyes. Sona felt a shiver brush down her spine and her stomach dropped to her feet.

"Here is Bardock's mate, as you requested, Lord Frieza," Zarbon said, bowing deeply. Frieza's face twisted into a cold smile. Sona tried to keep a brave face, but her body was coursing with so many different emotions she wasn't sure she'd be able to remain in one piece.

"I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting," Frieza said. Even his voice was icy. Though he didn't look like much at first glance, Frieza was the embodiment of fear. Everything about him made Sona shiver. "I am Lord Frieza, of course," he said, haughtily. "And you are?"

Sona was hesitant to answer. Was Frieza merely mocking her with this display of politeness? Even if he wasn't, why should she do _anything_ he asked? She wasn't his puppet, and she certainly didn't have to play his games.

Frieza's false smile faded. He raised his fist, threateningly.

"One thing you will learn quickly about me; I have little to no patience for insolent monkeys," his voice was quiet, yet dangerous. Despite her mind's protests, Sona croaked out her name. Frieza's small smile returned once more.

"Very good," he said, lowering his fist. "Cui, Appule, take Sona to lodge with the rest of the apes. Make sure Vegeta hasn't disrupted anything in my absence," he commanded.

His last sentence gave Sona a spark of hope. She'd almost forgotten about Vegeta's role on Frieza's ship. If Vegeta had Frieza on edge, then perhaps their plan was going to work. She'd forgotten, too, about the other Saiyans. She'd mostly assumed that Frieza had killed them all. But if they were here, and if they could somehow rejoin all of the remaining Saiyans on Vegeta, they would have a greater chance of winning this battle than she'd originally thought.

As she was led into the belly of the ship, she didn't struggle. The room that she entered was dimly lit in contrast with the rest of the ship. It was poorly kept and seemed to be falling to pieces. It almost looked as though it wasn't a part of Frieza's ship at all.

As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she realized the room was filled with cells, each cell holding at least three Saiyans. Her hope sank as she noted their condition; they were weak looking, their eyes were dull and lifeless, and they were most definitely starved. These Saiyans were hardly in a condition to fight.

"Here we are," one of the men leading her along said at length, pulling a cell door open. Sona was shoved inside roughly, and the door was quickly shut behind her.

"Enjoy your stay," Frieza's men called as they exited the room. Sona surveyed her surroundings. She had two cellmates. One was laying down, she appeared to be sleeping. The other stood to greet her new cellmate. She was a young, fiery looking girl whom Sona recognized as Cerorai.

"Sona?" Cerorai asked, inching forward. Sona nodded. "I assume your first battle did not go very well," Cerorai said, quietly.

"You could hardly call it a battle," Sona scoffed, sitting on the cold floor. She leaned her back against the bars of the cell, feeling an immediate relief from carrying the weight of her curious chains.

"We were caught by surprise and didn't put up much of a fight. We've already suffered a casualty and a minor injury."

"And a captive," Cerorai added. "Looks like Frieza changed tactics. You'll have to tell Vegeta all about it when he visits."

"Vegeta is allowed to visit the captive Saiyans?" Sona asked. She was rather surprised that Frieza would allow Vegeta to do so.

"Yes," Cerorai nodded. "I suppose Vegeta is better at convincing Frieza than we originally thought capable. While Frieza was busy ordering the attack on you, Vegeta managed to smuggle some of the prisoners out. We're down about ten."

"Excellent," Sona breathed. She knew that those ten Saiyans would be happily received on Vegeta. She heard the door hiss open. She had hoped to see Vegeta enter, but it was Zarbon instead. He walked down the rows of cells taunting the Saiyans as he passed. He was nearing Sona and Cerorai.

"Kai be with you," Cerorai whispered to Sona. Her tone was apologetic. Sona had no time to question Cerorai's sudden burst of pity. Zarbon had grabbed Sona's chains, yanking her to a standing position.

"Hope you didn't get too comfortable," he said, grinning wickedly. "Frieza decided he'd like you to entertain him for a while."

Suddenly, Cerorai's whispered blessing made sense.

Bardock let out a shriek of rage and collapsed to the ground. His body ached and it seemed as though his lungs would never stop burning from lack of oxygen. He had pursued Sona and her attackers for as long as he could, but Zarbon fought quite skillfully. Though he didn't do any serious damage to Bardock himself, he was able to weaken him and throw him off their trail.

Sona was gone, and there was not a thing Bardock could do about it. Helplessness was not a sensation he thoroughly enjoyed.

Raditz caught up to him after several moments. He was breathing heavily, but his expression seemed hopeful. When he laid eyes upon his father, ragged and weakened, his expression fell.

"So she's gone?" he asked, approaching Bardock. His voice was hollow sounding. Bardock merely nodded in response. "Well, she'll figure out a way back, right? She can escape," Raditz said, trying to reassure himself more than anything. Bardock sighed.

"I don't know, son," he said. "The metal they used seemed to weaken her somehow. Unless it is removed and she doesn't lose too much of her energy, I'd say it's unlikely."

"She'll be alright," Raditz said, attempting to be reassuring. "Vegeta will take care of her. "

While the thought of leaving his mate with the Prince may have given hope to his son, Bardock wasn't sure he was entirely pleased with the current situation. Still, it wasn't as though he had a choice.

"He'd better," Bardock muttered.


	7. The Pieces are Set

Weeks past, perhaps months. Bardock had lost all sense of time. He was focused on one thing; training. He had to become strong enough to defeat Frieza. That was the only way he would get Sona back. Of course, Frieza wasn't going to bother showing courage or correctness. He would attack unannounced.

The others were strengthening themselves, too. It wasn't until Frieza's first attack that they had finally grasped the magnitude of the situation. How could they? Only a handful of them had believed him the first time. Now they all had solid proof. Frieza was not playing around. He wanted the Saiyans gone and he would do anything it took to accomplish that goal.

Sona was bruised and aching. She was fortunate to share a cell with Cerorai, who knew a bit about healing. However, the conditions were so bad that there wasn't much she could do to ease Sona's pain. Sona wasn't even able to fully heal and increase her strength. All she could do was suffer.

Frieza had made torturing her a hobby. He wanted information from her; he wanted information that she would never hand him in a million years. It didn't appear to bother him that she kept this information from him. In fact, it seemed as though he enjoyed watching her suffer more than anything. When Frieza was in a foul mood, Sona was sent for immediately.

The door to their dark room slid open. Sona's heart sank. She had come to hate that sound, knowing that it was usually for her. She heard loud footsteps coming closer to her cell. She shut her eyes tightly, not wanting to open them and see Zarbon.

"I have good news," came a welcome voice. Sona opened her eyes and her being was flooded with relief. Before her stood Vegeta. He had a stern expression on his face as always and crossed his arms.

"Frieza is planning to attach Vegeta soon," he said. "This means we can move our plan into action. The only obstacle we currently face is getting the message to Bardock and the others." Vegeta flicked his eyes from Sona to Cerorai. "One of you is going to have to escape," he said simply. He knew exactly who to send. The answer was apparent. Sona looked like hell. She had lost a lot of her weight, her body was littered with bruises and cuts, her skin was growing increasingly pale, and it was apparent she was getting weaker by the moment.

Cerorai didn't appear to be in perfect health, either, though she was one of the healthiest prisoners on Frieza's ship. He was also anxious to get her off Frieza's ship, though he would never admit these feelings to anyone. He wanted her to be far away should anything happen.

"I'll go," Cerorai volunteered, as expected. "But who will care for Sona? If she's not cared for, she will die." Vegeta sighed. He looked at Sona before replying.

"I will do what I can to help her," he obliged, grudgingly. Cerorai's perpetually sad face broke out into a smile. She grabbed his wrist through the bars of her cell.

"Thank you," she said. Her tone was sincere, yet serious.

"I'm devising a plan to break you out," he said, changing the subject to more important matters. "If it's done right, it will look like a mistake and neither you nor I will be suspected."

"Just let me know what I can do," she said softly, smiling. She released Vegeta's hand and turned back to Sona, leaving him to consider his own thoughts. Vegeta was quite confused at the moment, not really sure of these sensations. He chose to ignore them. The only emotions he fully understood and conveyed were anger and rage. To know of a softer, happier emotion was almost foreign to his heart, though he didn't hate the sensations at all.

He figured it would be best to direct his whole attention to the fight for freedom. After he had secured this happiness for himself and his people, perhaps then he could ponder the emotions within his heart.


End file.
